Behind Aluminummy
by iRocka
Summary: ON HIATUS. You're a mystery I'm longing to solve. Just like your creations, you're so abstract. She's a girl who wanted to understand the life of a guy she just sat with on the bus to school. Is this a Mona Lisa in the making?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE Superstar mentioned in this story, as well as shows, channels and other trademarked products that I did not trademark myself. Logos, brands and names belong the actual creator of the aforementioned. **

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_Being the new girl around town, Ayana, or simply Aya for short, wasn't really a crowd favorite just yet. She had just transferred from Manhattan to Cameron, North Carolina, and the feel of the place was certainly different. Manhattan was way busier than that of the somewhat cozy lifestyle people in Cameron lives. The ambience was definitely different. She was in a, what we call for lack of better term, culture shock._

_Today was her first day of school. She was entering Cameron High School as a senior. It being a co-ed school like her previous one back in Manhattan, she knew how it would be with the guys. Aya was a girl with the killer looks. Dark-haired, jade-eyed and a full pink pouty set of lips, paired with the body models would crave for everyday, she was a natural-born heartbreaker. Note, mind you, she hadn't had any operations done._

_Smoothing out the cream chiffon miniskirt and the baby pink spaghetti-strap on her body, she checked out her appearance in her full-length mirror one more time to be sure she was decent. Make-up free, slightly wavy hair tucked back with a scarf made into a headband, platform shoes. She grabbed the white hoodie jacket that was hanging on the mirror and put it on. So far so good. She looked decent and appropriate for a first day in a foreign land to her senses._

_She grabbed her pink Juicy Couture body bag and slung it on her shoulder before picking up the pile of books and a binder off her desk and onto her arm, in the process, blowing away the wavy strand of ebony hair from her face. She walked out of her typically half-messy, half-neat room and down the wooden staircase of her house. She was, by no means, late. Well, at least that was what it said on her silver Cartier watch._

_But her mother's eyes sang a different tune. "Ayana Michelle Rodriguez, why are you moving so slow on the first day of school?" Alessa, the older Rodriguez, reprimanded her seventeen-year old daughter once the teen was down the stairs._

"_Sorry, mom, I just got up a little later than expected." Aya replied in a calm tone._

_Her mother sighed. "Well, then, eat your pancakes and make it fast. The bus should be here in ten minutes." She said while running her hand through the mass of ebony hair on her head._

"_Yes, mom." Aya replied as she set down her things on the island counter in the kitchen and proceeding to eat the blueberry pancakes her mom had conjured for her breakfast._

_She wasn't by any means nervous. Actually, she was highly anticipating what was gonna happen that day. It was her first day. She was planning on trying out for the cheerleading team and looking forward to meeting new people. Just like back in her old school. She was head cheerleader last year considering she was only a junior. She was popular and A-list but still one with a manageable attitude._

_Beep. Beep. The beeping sound of the school bus's arrival sound was less enticing to her. She cringed upon hearing it but immediately drank the glass of apple juice set right beside her plate. She jumped off the stool, grabbed her things and somewhere in the flurry she managed to let out a, "Byemomgottarun."_

_She climbed aboard the traditional yellow bus almost every school had and searched for an empty seat. Everyone's eyes were glued right onto her mainly because she was a new girl. Just by scanning the people in the bus, she'd already seen the different social groups. There were the probably geeks who all wore thick-rimmed glasses, ungodly sweaters and had the freakiest hairdos. There were the athletes whose hairs were either up in a ponytail or hidden beneath a baseball cap. There were the cheerleaders who were wearing their black and yellow uniforms and filing their nails. There were the rock guys who were all wearing black, had numerous piercings and heavy black eyeliner. And then, there was one._

_He seemed to be occupying the only seat that had a vacant spot beside him. He had a mysterious aura to him, as if he were thinking of so many things at the same time. He seemed alone and no one was really minding him. His brown hair was put into about dozens of braids on his head and were showing a slight hint of the color green. He wore black cargos and a grey sweater over a white tee and all three items had dots of multicolored paint. His Reeboks didn't show any difference as to the paint content._

_She walked closer to him and asked with a smile, "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"_

_He looked up at her and both of their green eyes met for the first time. He shook his head before looking out the window again._

_For Aya, that second he took to look at her and shake his head and just simply acknowledge her presence, it felt different. It wasn't the same as getting catcalls and wolf-whistles in her old school. It was like, that second, his eyes, though they were green, they seemed more of Technicolor. Shaking the thoughts from her head, she plopped down on the seat beside him and placed her things on her lap._

_The rest of the ride to school, things were quiet for her. She hadn't talked to anyone just yet. The bus was filled with chit-chat about what they all did during summer vacation. There were stories about surfing in Hawaii, climbing the Eiffel Tower, touring Harvard University, going to a My Chemical Romance concert, watching Numbers on AXN. Yeah, those were the memories for them. For Aya, it was just a moving truck, cardboard boxes, balled-up newspaper and lots of old memorabilia she discovered._

_The dingy old school bus came to a halt outside a brick building with the name 'Cameron High School' labeled in thick white lettering on the front wall. There were students dotted here and there, some were goofing around, some were walking, some were chaining their bikes to the stand. The students in the bus got out and slowly filed out of the vehicle._

_Aya watched the guy she sat beside with close interest. He had a plain purple Jansport backpack that was, like the rest of his apparel, stained with paint. He slung it on his shoulder and, with one hand tucked into his cargo pocket, walked his way into the building. He wasn't minding anyone, wasn't greeting them with a hi or hello. He was just quiet. _

"_Well, well, well, who do we have here?" a voice said from behind her. Aya spun around to come face-to-face to a girl who was clad in a cheerleader uniform, had light brown hair that was tousled a bit, and some fair share of make-up on her face._

"_I see we have a newbie amidst…" said the girl standing beside her. That one had mocha brown locks with hazel eyes and she had the kind that would qualify as bedroom eyes without even trying._

"_She looks like a hot pick. Considering she's a newbie." Said the other girl standing on the opposite side. She had blonde hair, baby blue eyes and looked almost anorexic underneath her uniform._

"_What's your name, stranger?" asked the girl in the middle._

"_Ayana Rodriguez. Aya, for short." Aya said without any hesitation, nervousness or fear. She wasn't over-confident and arrogant, but she knew how to play along with the popular crowd._

"_Well, Aya, I'm Lorraine. Blondie over here is Lisha, Lish, for short. And Ms. Playboy covergirl-soon-to-be here is Michalka. But, people call her Blee." Lorraine said._

"_Why do people call you Blee?" Aya asked Michalka._

"_Excessive swearing. They say I swear too much but it's actually just damn normal language for me. No fucking deal." She said as if the words were found in the English dictionary from the very start. "…Came from Bleep, actually. You know, in the movies, when they censor stuff."_

"_Oh." Aya reacted._

"_Well, Aya, here in this school, we are the dominant crew." Lorraine said while linking her arm in Aya's. She slowly began to lead her to the front doors of the school. "There is no student around here who doesn't do our every bidding. So, here goes. The moment you stepped in the bus, we knew you were crew material. We're offering to teach you the round-abouts of the school, how cliques go, which teams to join and of course, how to dress."_

"_What do you said, newbie?" Lish asked her._

"_You up for fame, popularity, being every guy's fantasy and every girl's idol?" Blee said._

_Aya pondered about it for a minute. Sure, she wanted fame, right? Who, in her right mind, would say no to that?_

"_Offer accepted." She said with a megawatt smile that had already captured some guys walking on campus._

"_Coolio." The three said in unison in that high-pitched cheerleader voice._

"_Now, let's go and get your orientation started, shall we?" Lorraine said as all four walked through the school doors like models walking down the runway. The student body parted to give way to them, jocks cat-called and whistled, wannabes hung onto their every word, geeks tried to suck-up and hey, Aya couldn't say she was complaining._

That's how it all started. How senior year, popular life and total control came to be in Aya's life.

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**Hey guys. This story was a request from a friend of mine and yes, it'll run for about five or six chapters. Jue, this one's for you. Hope the starting was fine. And for the rest of you out there, hope you all liked the start. If you don't know the superstar involved, well, let that be the mystery for you.**

**Review please.**

**-**_**veracruzortongal**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE Superstar mentioned in this story, as well as shows, channels and other trademarked products that I did not trademark myself. Logos, brands and names belong the actual creator of the aforementioned. **

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A month into the school year, Aya's name was already in the school history. She was part of the popular crew, now the newest member of the cheerleading squad, a class representative and one of the hottest girls ever to grace the hallways of Cameron High. She walked down the hallways as if she were a top model in the making, but she was still one of the nicest girls you were ever going to meet. 

This month's extracurricular for Aya was Art. Every month they could choose between studying either Art, French, Italian, Extended Mythology, Advance Calculus or Shop Class. First month she took Italian and she aced the subject, though she wasn't quite fluent yet. Now, in the second month, she was taking Art.

She was sitting there on a high wooden stool in front of an easel and canvas. She was wearing a pair of Lee hip-hugger dark-wash jeans, a white tube top underneath a dark grey short-sleeved fishnet Nike bolero and black wedges. Upon entering the class, the other girls gave way to her and the guys were all checking her out. Not that she was complaining.

And so, Mr. something something started the class. He had this weird French-name that was hard to pronounce and spell for that matter. Ve-luweeee-maa-something. She couldn't say it. She couldn't spell it. She couldn't do anything with that name so she'd just have to find out about that later on. So, history of art transcends into the room and he talks about hues, color, brushes, modes of painting, signing your name on a fancy canvas, history of France (though it wasn't even related) and so on and so forth.

While he was talking on and on and casually fixing the beret on his head every now and then, Aya decided to look and scan her class for the month. There were some rocker guys who decided to join the fun and paint black and white (and probably some red for blood stains). There were some okay girls who looked nice. There were some athletes who still looked buff and disciplined. So far, so good…

Then, he appeared.

He was sitting in the very back of the room. His hair was still in braids and still had the greenish color. His outfit, which composed of an olive-green sweater, ripped jeans and sneakers, were still splattered with paint. His face was still blank. But there was something about him that really attracted her. She didn't know his name, his family, where he lives, what he does, who he is in this school. But there was something there that kept on appealing to her.

She looked to her left and saw an okay girl getting bored with the discussion but still listening to be respectful. Aya tapped her on the shoulder and asked, "Hey, who's that guy at the back? The one in braids?" in a hushed tone.

"Him? His name's Jeff. Jeffrey Nero Hardy. Biggest art buff the school's ever seen. He's the hottie of the century here! Totally maxes out the jocks and the other guys. He's like so dark and mysterious. Although, he never dates. He's never taken a girl out to somewhere. And he's very quiet, too." The girl said.

Cocking an eyebrow, Aya replied, "Why is he very quiet? And why isn't he with the popular crowd? I mean, like, if he's so hot and he's so popular, how come he seems so non-existent to me?"

"He doesn't mingle that much. No one knows why he's quiet. It's the mystery, actually part of it. He's popular in his own little way. He didn't need the crews to shoot up to A-list. He's a nice guy, helps people out when they need to be helped, and he's hot. Every girl has a crush on him!" she replied.

"I see…" Aya said to the girl with a smile. "Thanks."

_Jeffrey Nero Hardy. Jeff. Hmmm…_ Aya thought with some ideas racing through her head. She was wondering why such a hot guy, such a nice guy, for that matter, who had the chance to be with the in-crew, was setting himself so aloof from everyone else. Maybe he has a family problem. How about a psychological disorder? Mental illness? Possible.

She spun around just to see him again. But when she did, her green eyes met his green eyes and there was something there that she'd never seen before. It was like mystery, suspense, tragedy, drama and emotion rolled up into one majestic color. Though they had the same eye color, she found his rather different than hers. It was amazing actually, how he managed to captivate her like no other guy could.

"Ms. Rodriguez. Ms. Rodriguez. MS. RODRIGUEZ!" Mr. Something screamed, immediately capturing Aya's attention and tearing her eyes away from that mutual connection with a certain Hardy.

"You rang, sir?" she replied to his call with a sense of calmness. Even though inside she was shocked out of her wits, she managed to keep a calm façade for no one to realize she was staring at the colorful man at the back of the room.

"Would you mind telling that class what exactly is the difference between a beret and a smock, seeing as it is that you are the current fashion diva in the room?" he said, placing his hands on the teacher's table in front.

Aya stood up and walked over to grab a beret and a smock from the small coat rack in the side of the room. She held each item on either hand and said, "People in this class, this on the right is a beret, this on the left is a smock. Now, the differences between the two are already obvious, the similarities are, actually, that though berets are used as fashion items, in this shade of green, it would just be a major fashion faux pas."

The class laughed. She had that sense of humor in the girly sense but it still appealed to people the way she said it. "Let's do a little parody of what Tyra Banks did on her show. Fix It or Flaunt it! For this, I'd have to say fix." She said with a slight look of playful disgust crossing on her face.

She flipped the beret around and found that it was checkered black and white underneath. The smock was the color black so it still worked. She wore both items, slipped on a pair of big black Dior sunglasses and walked on the platform of the room. She modeled it for about five seconds before she sat on the stool in front of the class, crossed her legs and maintained perfect posture.

She pulled the sunglasses down the bridge of her nose a bit and said, "Now, this is what you flaunt."

She winked playfully and said, "Isn't this art?"

The class clapped at her little show and the others wolf-whistled. Even Mr. Something clapped and smiled. She shrugged a bit and bowed to her audience before sneaking a peek through her sunglasses to Jeff. He was drawing something. And it was what was taking up all his attention. She pouted a bit but not to the extent of people noticing. She took of the clothing articles she used and put them back where they belonged.

She walked back to her seat and sat down, not bothering to look behind her again for fearing the worst from dear Mr. Hardy. Instead, she listened as five more minutes rolled by and Mr. Something talked on and on before the bell finally rang. Thank the Lord.

The whole class exited the room after bidding their goodbyes and head on home for it was already dismissal. Jeff, however, stayed there for about three more minutes. He was putting the finishing touches on his charcoal sketch. Once he was satisfied after blurring a part of the drawing, he signed his name and the date on the corner.

He tore it off the pad and rolled it up, following it up by tying a red ribbon around it. He shoved it into his bag and slung the bag on his shoulder before jetting out of the room in utter silence.

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**Jue, here's the next chapter you've been crying for. I'm sorry it isn't long but it really wasn't meant to be long. Don't worry. Suspense. Lmao. So, I'll try to post again sometime. But I'm not so sure when, ok?**

**To those who reviewed, thank you so much!**

**-**_**veracruzortongal**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE Superstar mentioned in this story, as well as shows, channels and other trademarked products that I did not trademark myself. Logos, brands and names belong the actual creator of the aforementioned. **

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Sitting cross-legged on the field and absent-mindedly flipping through the latest fashion magazine, Aya was thinking of that weird green-haired guy in Art class. He wasn't really your typical average joe on the block. He wasn't, by any means, normal in any way. No person could ever be that quiet and still be so damn popular. _It's just not in the rules of popularity!_ She thought. _It can't be possible!_

"A little lost in thought there, aren't we?" Lorraine said, plopping down beside Aya and fixing the ponytail on her head. It was, so far, a tough cheerleading practice and they were all taking a five-minute break. Some of the girls were drinking from their bottles of water. Some were talking to their football team member boyfriends. Some were trying to flirt with some football players. Some were simply sitting on the grass and taking deep breaths.

Aya shifted her attention to the light-brown haired girl on her right. She smiled and said, "Yeah… Well, just got lost thinking too much, I guess…"

"Spill. I mean like, if it's about a guy or anyone in school, you really like better spill or else I'm going to kill you… like… officially!" Lorraine said in the giddiest tone imaginable.

Even though Aya was popular, she didn't date anyone in school yet. Plenty of guys had asked her out already. By plenty, I meant, ALL. Some had maxed out their imaginations trying to think of a way to court her. Some did it through poetry; others through leaving letters in her locker. But she never replied to them.

"Well… There's this guy—" Aya started.

"—OMG! So it IS about a guy!" Lorraine interjected. Aya just smiled.

"…He's just so mysterious… So quiet… So… So… intriguing… Tha—"

"Mysterious. Quiet. Intriguing. OMG! Those spell Jeff Hardy! It's him, isn't it?"

Aya looked at Lorraine amused and nodded. The preppy girl squealed in excitement. "I see our little newbie has a crush of Jeffrey!" Lorraine squealed. Aya smiled at her friend's excitement and couldn't help but say, "No, I don't have a crush on him. I'm just wondering what makes him so popular when he hardly socializes."

"Well, Ay, lemme give you a little background check on Jeff. As you know, he has colored hair. He loves putting rainbow colors on his hair. He's the biggest art guy in like… the whole campus! He created the murals along the hallway. He did a portrait of the principal which she keeps in her office right now. He's known for that--"

"-- But he doesn't date. He's never gone out with any girl in his life. Every girl like… tried so hard to get him to ask them but like… no dice! Even I tried but he didn't do like… anything…" Lorraine said.

"…But he still is a major hottie…" Lorraine continued before the two broke out into fits of laughter.

Suddenly, Aya's eyes caught someone sitting on the grass on the opposite side of the field. It was him with his hair matching the grass. He had a sketchpad and a pencil with him. He was sketching something on his pad. His bag was nestling beside him with all his art supplies inside it. He was in deep concentration on the little masterpiece he was making. Every stroke seemed to be made to perfection. Every shade, blur and line was done in perfect precision.

"Looks like hottie's on the field today." Lorraine said.

Aya's green eyes never averted from him. "Yeah… looks like he's here." She said.

Then, a big shadow was cast upon Aya. She looked up to see Tim, the star quarterback. "Hey, Tim!" she greeted him.

"Hey, Aya… I was wondering if you'd go out with me Saturday night?" he asked, straight up and with no hesitation.

Tim was known for being a playboy. It was nothing to him. He had almost every girl in school at his beck and call. With his shaggy brown hair and his gorgeous baby blue eyes, it wasn't a shocker that every girl dreamed of him. He was like Jeff, in a way, they were both hot and extremely wanted in the girl population on campus. Difference was, Tim acted on his advantage whilst Jeff never really paid it attention.

Aya looked at him a bit curiously before replying, "I'm sorry, Tim. I'm not interested."

She didn't say it in a disrespectful tone. She actually said it quite politely. Now, Aya had never gotten a crush on any guy. And that was meant literally. There was no guy that ever caught her eye. She never felt that little butterflies in your stomach that her friends did. All the guys in her school already had a crush on her. She didn't need to catch anyone else's attention.

Tim nodded, a bit dismayed, before turning around and walking back to his practice with the rest of the football team. Aya turned her head to see Lorraine staring at her with her jaw dropped. "What?" Aya asked in her defense.

"You just turned down the hottest guy in school!" Lorraine shrieked.

"FYI, Lorr, he's not the hottest guy." Aya said. "He's just one of them."

"Still!" Lorraine shrieked again.

"He's just a guy, Lorr, get over it!"

"Nuh-uh, girlfriend! Every guy in school now wants you! Just like they want me, of course. But they all like… shower you with things! Why don't you answer to their attention? I mean, it's like you're so afraid to go out with them! Enjoy the attention, girl! It's like… only gonna happen once in your life!" Lorraine said.

But before Aya could actually answer the question…

"Alright, girls, back in formation! We've got more work to do." Their cheerleading coach called out. The two stood up from the grass and headed off to their first blocking. On the way to her position, Aya's eyes met Jeff's.

As their cheerleading coach was tattering on about the was the pyramids and aerials should be done, Aya's attention was somewhere else. And it wasn't on the football team, but rather a young man with interests far from sports.

Both green eyes connected in mutual understanding. They held their gazes with each other there for a minute. And in that minute, everything faded away for Aya. She didn't hear the screaming of the football team. Nor did she hear the persistent voice of their coach. She just saw him sitting there a couple of yards away, his braids half-covering his face, sketchpad and pencil in his hands and his eyes boring into hers. That was when she felt it.

_The butterflies._

They were there! She felt them fluttering around in her stomach. That's when it hit her. The answer to Lorraine's question: **Why don't you answer to their attention?**

**Answer: _'Cause the guy's attention I want isn't giving it._**

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**Hey, guys! It seems like every chapter keeps getting shorter and shorter. Lmao. Well, here's the thing. The first chapters WILL be a bit short. But as the story progresses, more things are bound to happen so… which means… the chapters will be longer, m'kay? So far, I just have one question for you guys…**

**Are you enjoying the story, despite the fact that it's short?**

**Gimme a review and answer that. 'Cause if majority don't enjoy it, then, I'm gonna be debating on whether I'm going to stop the story. Or give it a different ending as to the one I originally planned.**

**Jue, this one's for you.**

**-**_**veracruzortongal**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any WWE Superstar mentioned in this story, as well as shows, channels and other trademarked products that I did not trademark myself. Logos, brands and names belong the actual creator of the aforementioned. **

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For the next seven months, Aya always took Art as her extracurricular class. Reason? She wanted to see him everyday. He was always there in the back of the room secluded from everyone else and seemingly in his personal bubble which no one dared to invade. She, on the other hand, was always making the class and Mr. Ve-laaa-weeee-BLAH laugh. Her antics and miniature fashion shows, along with her playful comments, were making the class laugh all the time. It was like, she had all of their attention. Except his. 

He was always sketching something. He was always busy with his sketchpad and charcoal that he never bothered to laugh at her antics. He never looked at her and once smiled. It was always that sketchpad he was busy with! _If I could only steal that little thing away from him for five damn minutes and get him to notice me…_ she schemed in her head as the Art teacher was discussing about how to properly flick the brush.

Taking Art as extracurricular had its benefits besides Aya being able to see Jeff everyday. She had learned how to properly paint and sketch. She had to admit, her drawings had improved in the past months. She could now actually enter as a designer in the modern world. She knew how to sketch house plans and make abstract Art. She was never afraid to express her feelings through colors now. It was becoming an output of her emotions.

"So, class, for your final exam this quarter, you will be making a sculpture out of absolutely anything. You can work individually or in pairs. You can also work in triads or more. So, it's a free project. You can do anything you want. Just make sure it is a sculpture with a meaning behind it." Mr. Blah said.

Everyone started buzzing around about who was gonna do what. Some were beginning to team up with classmates; some were already sketching their masterpieces on their pads. Everyone was abuzz with the final exam that nobody noticed someone who was feeling rather left out, in a way.

Aya just sat there and looked around. Everyone had their own cliques to join up with. Nobody in the popular crew had joined the same class as her for obviously lame reasons. They all took some other class. She looked around and scanned the students. Looks like she was doing this project alone. She sighed as her sight drifted to Jeff who was sitting at the back of the room all by lonesome as usual.

He was sketching again. She would never know what he always draws, but she knew he wasn't interested. She sighed again. She was turning so emo in the past few days. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her iPod out of her body bag and put the earphones on. She played a rock song, one befitting of her mood, and put it on so loud that the rest of the world disappeared.

_**Oh why can't I be what you need  
a new improved version of me  
but I'm nothing so good  
no I'm nothing  
just bones, a lonely ghost burning down songs  
of violence of love and of sorrow  
I beg for just one more tomorrow  
where you hold me down fold me in  
deep deep deep in the heart of your sins**_

She let the lyrics burn her ears as she sang the song in her head. It wasn't fair how he never gave her a chance. Well, she never asked for the chance but still! He should know better. She tried to get to know him. She tried sitting beside him on the school bus again. But like Lorraine said, _"… No dice…"_

_**I break in two over you  
I break in two  
And each piece of me dies  
And only you can give the breath of life  
But you don't see me, you don't...**_

She shook her head in dismay. He was her first crush! And it had to be like this. The one man she had learned to like and actually feel the 'butterflies' thing, he was simply so… blind. It was either that or she was invisible. Which was so unbelievable since she was, after, a member of the popular crew. _I guess it's human nature to always want what you can't have…_ she thought to herself as she forced back the willing tears.

She felt the vibrations of the school bell coursing through her body as she grabbed her body bag and sped out of the room. She was in no mood to deal with seeing him so undisturbed there. Was this the pain she had to go through for the rest of the year? There was only about a month and a half left and this had to go on! She was graduating from Cameron High after that amount of time and he goes and pulls this joke! It was impossible.

She ran from the Art room to her locker and immediately fixed her things. She left her Economics book and placed into her bag her Physics, Pre-calculus, Bookkeeping and Literature books. She quickly shut her locker, placed the combination before jetting off to the field for cheerleading practice. It was Thursday today and their practice was until 8PM.

On the field, Aya took out all her frustration. They were all only wearing casual but fit-for-cheerleading outfits. Aya was wearing a black miniskirt, a black razorback and white rubber shoes. They were practicing an aerial routine with gymnastics and other exhibitions. The coach said they had to give it all they've got. Aya channeled all her frustration there and she was literally popping out from the team. Her moves were so defined, so static-y that the team was amazed.

That time, Aya was set to do a hip-hop solo. It was cromping mixed with lots of pops, locks, exhibitions and break-dance. It was to the tune of Jiggle It by Young Leek. Her dance, her moves, her way of expressing herself, they were all so exotic that the cheerleaders, as well as the coach, we astonished by the way she pumped it.

After her two-minute dance, which she would be dancing solo during the Graduation Ball with the other girls as back-up, she walked over to the bleachers and sat down. She took a bottle of water and gulped half of it down in three gulps. She looked across the field after drinking and saw that he was sitting there. Again.

Every time she would look across the field, there he would be, sitting down, looking pretty, and as per usual, sketching. She shook her head, dismissing all the thoughts and stood up. Practice was now over. She had worked off all her emotion and she was feeling a bit lighter as compared to earlier. She grabbed her towel and headed to the locker room where she changed into her casual clothes.

Inside the locker room, Blee, Lorraine and Lish all walked towards her. Lorraine and Lish sat beside her on the bench while Blee contented herself with leaning on the lockers. "So, Ay, you wanna tell us what's up?" Lish asked, placing an arm around Aya's shoulders.

Aya shifted her sight to Lish, Lorraine and Blee before breaking down and sobbing into Lish's chest. No matter how popular and snobby the three may be, they were always there as Aya's friends. There was no backstabbing between them and secrets were always kept secrets. She could always lean on them for support and cry on their shoulders whenever she felt bad.

"What's wrong, girl?" Lish asked as she rubbed Aya's back.

"…Why can't I ever be visible to him?" her strained voice came out almost a squeak. The tears just kept pouring out and no matter how hard she tried to stop them, they just wouldn't. They continuously flowed out as if they were the rivers enveloping Mesopotamia in Asian History.

"Jeff still not minding you?" Lorraine said as she stroked Aya's fresh-from-the-shower hair. Aya nodded.

"Look, girl, is that damn guy isn't minding you, then he's not worth your fucking time. He's an asshole if he doesn't see how fucking head over heels you are over him. Damn him and let's just get on with our lives." Those colorful words coming from none other than the lips of Blee.

Aya ended up chuckling a bit at Blee's frankness. Soon, all of them burst out laughing. It was always Blee who seemed to lighten up the conversations with her price choice of words. Soon, everything became at bay and Lorraine decided to speak up. Of course, after flipping her light brown locks over her shoulder fashionably.

"Look here, Ay. Jeff's not really known for noticing girls. He's a natural-born heartbreaker. He attracts all the girls subconsciously but he never really pays attention to them—"

Lish continued. "—Take it from us. All of us fell for him at one point in time. I think I did back in freshman year. No matter how beautiful, talented or whatever you are, he doesn't mind you. He has this own little bubble that always keeps him away from the real world. That's Jeff Hardy.

"Yeah." Blee continued. "He's always there physically but his damn mind's somewhere else. Sure, he's Mr. Popularity but he never wanted that. All he wanted was fucking art supplies and something to draw. He said it on one of his damn essays which I stole from our fucking fifth grade English teacher when I had this huge fucking infatuation over Jeff."

Aya looked at her friends and said, "You know, it's not really _infatuation_. It's just… something that I can't explain really. It's like, I don't like him 'cause he's just… popular and really don't go after popular guys or something. But I like him… because he always leaves me intrigued. It's like, he's there but he's not. It's like, in those few moments when our eyes meet, no one else exists…"

Lorraine and Lish rubbed her back and said, "It's ok, Ay. Just learn to let him go. When you do, and he realizes he likes you, that's gonna be his loss. You're a beautiful girl, Ay. He's gonna regret it."

They all smiled at each other before standing up and deciding to leave the locker room already. They linked arms and runway-walked out of the locker room and into the dark Cameron night. Lish dropped them all off at their respective houses. She dropped off Aya last since their houses were the closest. Once Aya was out of the car, Lish said, "Remember, he's just a guy… Don't let him control your life."

Aya nodded and smiled at her friend before watching the black caddy zoom away into the night. She walked into her house and proceeded up to her room where she began to do her homework without eating dinner.

She was lying down on her tummy on her pink comforter clad bed and was reading a chapter in her Literature book. She held a silver and white Parker mechanical pencil in her right hand and was tapping it on the book as her Burberry glasses-covered eyes scanned the book. _So if the main character is supposed to be the one doing this… The protagonists are that… And the antagonists are supposed to do this… Then the supporting characters are the ones defining th—_her train of thought was suddenly cut when her mom entered the room.

"Ayana, darling… Do you have a minute?" Alessa asked, peeping through the wooden door and into her daughter's room.

"Uhm… Make it a quick minute, mom. I've still got lots of homework to do." She said and smiled up at her mother.

Alessa stepped into the room and sat down on the edge of Aya's bed. "Baby, you're dad just received a phone call this morning and…" Alessa began her little sentence. Though she stopped before the actual surprise, her face was a dead give-away.

"No… Mom… Mom. You can't do this." Ayana began to say to her mother.

Alessa sighed and said, "I'm sorry, baby. But you're father just got moved back to Manhattan! You see, now we can be back with your cousins and relatives. Your old friends are going to want to see you again."

"No!" Aya screamed. "I already have friends here! I fit in here! How come whenever I'm at the top of my game, you always find a way to ruin my life?! So what? After I graduate high school, we're gonna move again and I'm going to have to work my way up again? Mom, this isn't fair!"

"Ayana, we can't do anything about it. Your father is needed back in Manhattan and he's done his duty here. We can go home now." Alessa reasoned.

"This is my home!" Aya shot back.

_**  
I had nothing to say  
And I get lost in the nothingness inside of me  
And I let it all out to find  
That I'm not the only person with these things in mind  
But all that they can see the words revealed  
Is the only real thing that I've got left to feel  
Just stuck, hollow and alone  
And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own**_

"Ay—" Alessa tried to say something but her daughter cut in.

"No! Please just shut up! And get out of my room! OUT!" Aya screamed. Her mother willingly obliged to her daughter's wished in silence. Once Alessa had walked out the door, Aya slammed the door shut and leant on it before slowly sliding down it and to a sitting position on the floor. She brought her knees up to her chest and cried into them like there was no tomorrow.

_**I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real  
I wanna let go of the pain I've felt so long  
(Erase all the pain till it's gone)  
I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real  
I wanna find something I've wanted all along  
Somewhere I belong**_

The next day, Friday, Aya rode the bus to school with a heavy heart. Lots of people took notice of this and tried to comfort and console her, but no one had succeeded. Everyone had yet to know that she was leaving the state after this term and Aya wanted to keep it to herself for longer time. She just had to keep quiet, pull her black jacket hood over her eyes and disappear from the world. That was all she had to do.

The day went by like any other. There was Physics, Calculus, Literature (in which Aya aced her quiz), Gym and Bookkeeping. Recess and Lunch breaks were pretty quiet for the senior girl, but she trudged on with life. Her friends tried to worm everything out of her but even they didn't succeed in anything. Last period, Art, even went by. And Aya still remained silent. The issue on Jeff only made her feel worse about herself.

After school, cheer practice was scheduled. They only had it until 6 on Fridays. As the squad was practicing their cheers and their routines, Aya's eyes averted to the green-haired lad sitting across the field. He was, to no surprise, sketching again. He was on the same spot, with the same look on his face and the same activity being done. She didn't mind it for now, and continued on with her practice as she tried to ignore the tugs on her heartstrings.

Six o'clock came rolling by and everyone was dismissed. Aya immediately changed and avoided everyone's questions and eyes. She walked out to the field almost immediately. In the process, she saw Jeff still sitting there and packing his things already. _I have to do this now. Or else, I'll move on with life with him not knowing how I really feel about him… C'mon, Aya! You can do it!_ She encouraged herself.

Taking a deep breath, she walked across the huge expanse of lush green grass and to the Hardy. Once she was in front of him, she said, "Jeff, may I talk to you for a second?"

He nodded and stood up.

Aya looked down for a moment before gathering up the courage to say, "Jeff, I don't know if you're ever gonna realize this unless I say it an—wait. I'm not making sense here. Look, the bottom line is that, ever since the day we sat on the bus side by side, I've always been wondering… why you never really gave any girl a chance to love you. I mean… You're Mr. Popular around here. How come you don't give a girl a chance? I mean—"

Before she got to say another word, he covered her mouth with his hand and whispered, his voice being audible for the very first time…

**"...Because I'm afraid of loss..."**

* * *

**That is chapter four for all of you! I'm sorry it had to be a cliffy. It's just really… Proper. Haha. It keeps people interested. Lmao. Anywhos, judging by the rate of reviews, this story might not pull out for so long. I'm only gonna put in the things my friend and the requestor of this story, Jue, asked me to put in. So, there'll pro'lly be 2-3 chapters left. M'kay?**

**Review please.**

**-**_**veracruzortongal**_


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